


Moving Up

by echoflowertea



Series: Living [28]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Female Reader, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader is FAT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-09 18:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7812469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echoflowertea/pseuds/echoflowertea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dating outside of your species can be jarring, but you consider yourself pretty open-minded. It takes a lot to surprise you these days. Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moving Up

**Author's Note:**

> i update this series **on fridays**!
> 
> want to come hang out with me on **[tumblr](http://echoflowertea.tumblr.com/)**? i reblog my favorite art, chat with you guys, and take requests!

“Monster Day is officially in full swing! Come downtown and hang out with us! We’ve got food and music, a giant trampoline for everyone, artwork and crafts from some of the BEST merchants, and ancient legends read by the former Queen Toriel herself!”

You turned the radio up with a grin as you weaved your way in and out of traffic. A long weekend ahead and one of the best holidays had finally come around. While it was mainly celebrated between friends and family, your city was filled with so many monsters that they decided to throw an event. Something reminiscent of humans’ own culture festivals. They embraced your practices just as must as you did theirs, so it was really awesome seeing them try an entirely new thing so they could reach a wider audience.

It was a three-day event. Tonight would be the kickoff, and the rest of the weekend was pretty much a free-for-all. Nothing too extensive in terms of what would be featured. You even heard that there would be a play that depicted the struggle and rise of monsterkind after they were banished and trapped Underground. You had to stop by and see that one; much of their history was skewed in books written by whoever was around to document it, and Toriel got a little upset when talking about it. So you would try to educate yourself as best you could.

You parked in front of the brother’s house with your overnight bag ready for the weekend. You really only had to cram a few things in here and there, considering you pretty much had your own room at their house these days.

Hmm…

Things seemed quiet here. Maybe they were getting off from work a little late? You let yourself into the house and spotted a note on the counter in the kitchen where you usually dropped your purse off.

_hey, babe. gonna meet ya at the celebration. my bro’ll know where to go._

That didn’t sound cryptic at all. He was probably trying to sell something there and didn’t want you to know about it. Why Sans felt the need to involve himself in side-businesses was beyond you; it wasn’t like he was struggling to make ends meet. Between his minor commissions from other monsters regarding repairs from everyday household items and his regular day job, he had quite the stream of revenue coming in. Not to mention Papyrus was bringing in his own paychecks, and their landlord was a guy that rented to their house to them for ridiculously cheap because he thought the brothers breathed life into his neighborhood.

“OH! YOU ARE HOME EARLIER THAN I EXPECTED!”

Papyrus swept you up in a tight hug and peppered kisses down your cheeks. You laughed and put your hands on his chest, letting him dip you low so he could smooch you even more.

“I AM SO EXCITED! WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF FUN THIS WEEKEND. I EVEN BOUGHT US HILARIOUS MATCHING T-SHIRTS.” He dug around in his bag and pulled them out.

You scanned over the lopsided text. They were homemade and…amazing. “’If lost, return to Papyrus’?”

“YES! AND MINE SAYS, ‘I AM PAPYRUS’! ISN’T IT CLEVER? I SAW SOMETHING SIMILAR NOT TOO LONG AGO AND THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE GREAT IN CASE WE WERE TO GET LOST OR SEPARATED.”

You took yours and couldn’t stop grinning. “These are awesome. I’m gonna go change right now!”

“OH, NO. THOSE ARE FOR TOMORROW! TONIGHT IT IS MORE RELAXED AND INFORMAL. WE SHOULD JUST GO IN WHAT WE ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW.”

You looked down and lifted a brow. “Seriously?”

“WELL…PERHAPS WE COULD BOTH STAND TO CHANGE. TO THE BEDROOM!”

You rifled through the guest bedroom drawers, searching for something you could move around in. A t-shirt dress would be good. Flowy and airy but still fun and such. You grabbed a fresh pair of panties and a bra that would go well against the material of your outfit change, not hearing the door open.

“UM…ARE YOU BUSY?”

“No, just kind of figuring out what I’m gonna wear. What’s up?”

Papyrus met you on the ground. He sat cross-legged and seemed to judge your choice in wear, picking up the clothing and rolling it around in his fingers. He was thinking hard. You knew it because he was dead silent, something that you rarely ever saw unless something was the matter.

“SO….I HAVE BEEN DOING MORE RESEARCH ON HUMANS.”

“Okay.”

“AND I AM WONDERING ABOUT THE NATURAL PROGRESSION OF THINGS. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IN THE CONTEXT OF RELATIONSHIPS. ROMANTIC ONES.”

Oh. “Hm, alright. Ask away.”

“WELL. A LOT OF THE PLACES I HAVE BEEN FREQUENTING…CITE PHYSICAL INTIMACY AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE. IT IS A WAY FOR COUPLES TO TEST THEIR FUTURE COMPATIBILITY. BUT YOU AND I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR MUCH LONGER AND DONE OTHER THINGS BESIDES TOUCH EACH OTHER AND WE GET ALONG PERFECTLY. I WONDER IF…PERHAPS YOU…ARE MISSING SOMETHING BY NOT ENGAGING IN SUCH THINGS WITH ME REGULARLY.”

You kneaded the dress in your hands, flustered. “I mean. No? It’s nice, but it’s not everything. And you… _have_ made me…I mean, you’re really good at…” You gestured wildly. “The last time, when we melded? You got me to feel something I’d never been able to do before with another person. And. It’s been enough to hold me off since then.”

“I SEE.” He sighed. You couldn’t tell if it was from relief or disappointment. “OKIE DOKIE, THAT IS ALL I WANTED TO KNOW! THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING.”

He made a move to leave and you stopped him, reaching out to grab his wrist. “Um, Paps?”

“YES?”

“I know this is…kind of a weird request, but maybe we could…get dressed. Together.”

There. You said it. As much as you hated the thought of baring everything to him, you couldn’t stop thinking about his body. When you melded, it was purely an emotional experience. The physical aftershocks were just something that happened in the passion of the moment. Since then, it was hard not to wonder about what made him feel good. How he was underneath his clothes. And…you wanted him to see you, which was terrifying in and of itself.

Papyrus flushed and reached up to scratch his cheekbone. “WOWIE…REALLY? ME? ARE YOU SURE? I MEAN I DO WANT THAT TOO, BUT I WOULD NEVER MAKE YOU DO SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH. IT HAS BEEN ONE THING TO CHANGE WHILE YOU ARE IN THE ROOM, BUT TO WATCH…AND TOUCH…”

You shuddered at the thought of his hands cupping your body. They were so big and…tender. Soft. Gentle. He would treat your skin with as much caution as you needed in order to be comfortable.

“Y-yeah. I think we should do it.”

What had gotten into you? This wasn’t the time. You were going to leave pretty soon, and what if things got hot and heavy? Why were you so interested in this subject right this very second?

You reached forward and Papyrus met you halfway. Pushing his mouth on yours and holding you close. Hand cupping the back of your neck and angling himself so you had mere inches between you. You melted into him and he reached up to stroke his hand along your cheek.

“I HAVE WANTED TO SEE YOU LIKE THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME. M-MORE THAN I WOULD LIKE TO ADMIT! IT IS ACTUALLY KIND OF…EMBARRASSING…”

“Out of curiosity or because you…?”

“WELL, A LITTLE OF BOTH! HUMANS ARE FASCINATING BECAUSE THEY ARE SOFT AND HAVE SO MANY STRANGE BITS. BUT…THIS? IS MORE BECAUSE…I AM VERY MUCH IN LOVE, AND…”

You understood what he was saying. “Okay. How about you pick something for me to take off, and then I do the same? We’ll take turns until we’re…uh…ready to get dressed.”

“OKIE DOKIE. I PICK…YOUR SHIRT.”

Oh. He didn’t mess around. You bit your lower lip and glanced down, seeing your stomach spill over you waistband even behind your shirt. It was. A little hard to go through with it when he put it like that. Sans had asked you to do the same thing before and you faltered. Although you were…really getting better about appreciating your body and recognizing that the brothers really were attracted to you, it was still a strange and almost foreign thought.

“WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TAKE IT OFF FOR YOU?”

“Pfft, is that why you picked it? So you could undress me?”

“…MAYBE???” He covered his face in his hands. “I AM VERY BAD AT THIS. THE SNEAKY THINGS, I MEAN.”

Hey, that wasn’t like him at all. “Paps, no. You’re doing incredible. Here, since, like you said, I can’t do it myself – why don’t you?”

“OH. UM. THAT IS VERY…GENEROUS OF YOU?”

He recovered almost immediately and reached for the hem of your shirt. You lifted your arms once he took his time in slipping it over your shoulders and head. It took a little bit of wiggling, but he was fully satisfied with the results. His eyesockets widened and he leaned forward to rest his cheekbones on your breasts.

“AH. SO SOFT.”

“P-Paps!”

“I WISH I COULD BE HERE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. IT SMELLS LIKE YOU. LIKE HONEY AND THUNDER.”

You gigglesnorted. “That’s pretty specific.”

“WELL IT’S TRUE.”

He reached up to cup your breast with a hand, squeezing it affectionately. You bit your lower lip at the sensation, his fingers thumbing your nipple through the thin fabric. He squished and released them, bobbing them up and down, side to side. Testing the waters and moving in even closer.

“A-ah…”

“WHOOPSIE-DOOPSIE. I DIDN’T MEAN TO GET YOU OVERWHELMED.” He pulled back. “YOU CHOOSE NOW.”

“Okay. Your shirt.”

“THAT IS…OH. I SEE.”

He tore it off without even thinking. He’d only been wearing a button-down t-shirt for work, and a tie that dangled down near his waist. He ended up sitting in front of you and realizing that in his excitement he’d bared himself to you. He looked at you. At his uncovered chest. Clenched his hands and searched your face for encouragement.

You couldn’t believe it. You’d seen Sans before, but this was entirely different. Papyrus was huge, for one. His anatomy made it so that all of his bones were slender but somehow more powerful. Delicate but sure to pack a punch if he was in a bind. He had impeccable posture and everything was so symmetrical it made your head hurt. You reached forward and traced your fingers along his sternum. It was stark white, something you had always known it would be, but with a flushed sheen to it like he was…blushing.

“I-I AM…SENSITIVE THERE…”

“OH. Sorry!”

You pulled back but he caught your hand before you could retreat fully. He guided you back to his chest. Pressing your fingers along his ribcage, his SOUL appearing underneath the curvature of the bones. It was bright and humming with life. Like it had been waiting for this moment for a long, long time. He leaned back on his left arm and arched his back to you, his entire body quivering when you increased the pressure of your touch.

“Is this…too much?”

“N-NO???” He was sweating. “I J-JUST…WANT TO…RETURN THE FAVOR???”

“Well. Then what do you want me to take off next?”

He flopped backwards onto the ground, slapping both hands over his eyes and mouth to muffle his response.

“My what?”

“MMPHH!!”

You laughed and slid next to him. Peeling his hands away from his face. “I won’t do it unless you ask me.”

“Y-YOUR BRA, THEN.”

You reached back and unhooked it. You were planning to change out of it, anyway. The heaviness of your chest didn’t feel so tight now that the wired band holding them in place had disappeared. You sucked in a deep breath and immediately felt everything engulfed in a gentle warmth. Papyrus had stopped squirming just long enough to touch them, free of all their holdings.

“WOWIE…THEY ARE…AMAZING…”

“It’s…really not that great. They could look better.” Images of what was considered normal flashed through your head, all of them stemming from magazines, movies and TV shows. Models and celebrities and plastic surgery shows. “But I mean…this is what I have to work with, so…”

“I LOVE THEM. AND I LOVE YOU??? WHY WOULD YOU THINK THEY ARE NOT GOOD???” He gestured for you to move closer and pressed his mouth against them. Kissing. All over the surface. Your skin rippled from the shift in temperature, goosebumps starting along your areola and traveling up and across. He swiped his tongue across them experimentally and let out a noise of contentment, his mouth puckering to get a better grip.

“Ah! Paps, wait!” You put your hands on the back of his skull and he pulled back. “I just…I don’t want to get too carried away, you know? We still have to get to…the party and…”

He scrambled backwards. “I ALMOST FORGOT. I WAS SO DISTRACTED BY YOUR JOYFUL SOUNDS THAT I NEARLY TOOK US TOO FAR. S-SORRY.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” You crossed your arms and shielded them from view, squishing your legs together to hide the obvious sign of arousal from his exploring. “I mean. It’s…awesome that you want to do that. To me. And I…want that too. Maybe when we have more time alone?”

“YES. THAT IS…PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA?” He coughed violently into his hand to disguise his embarrassment. “SO…UM…DO YOU WANT TO SEE ME CONTINUE?”

“If you’re okay with that.”

“I AM. I HAVE WANTED TO. I MEAN IT IS VERY DIFFERENT…” He trailed off. “BUT GOOD! HERE I GO!”

You watched in amazement as he tore off his pants. What lingered underneath was everything you expected. He had quite the habit of going out in shorts – or that speedo that he wore as his “Battle Body” back in the day. That kind of stuff didn’t leave much to the imagination. But it was the thought of having him so vulnerable that was getting you flustered. How he had no qualms in baring it all if you asked him to. Sitting on the floor, nearly all of your clothes discarded, drinking in each other’s bodies as if you finally had the chance after all these years to just…

You reached out and put your hands on his hipbones. Tracing the jutting mass and feeling the grainy texture smooth out the further along you went. Papyrus put his hands over his face to hide his embarrassment, shuddering every time you stopped to rub just a little to see what kind of reaction it drew out of him. His thighs tapered out into his lap and everything was on full display, from his ischium to his coccyx.

“You’re, um…”

“WHAT? WHAT IS IT? HAVE I SHOWN YOU SOMETHING EMBARRASSING?”

“No, you…”

“PLEASE JUST TELL ME AND I WILL COVER UP!”

You shook your head and kissed him softly. “You’re really beautiful, Papyrus.”

“I…I AM??? BUT I AM JUST…AND YOU ARE…”

“Ugh, who cares about me? I’m more interested in this.” You gestured to his splayed form. “You can just…do it. You can take it all off in front of me and look amazing doing it. Like. This confidence that you have – and everything about your body – it’s just. I don’t deserve this right now.”

“PREPOSTEROUS. I AM THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE SPEECHLESS. BUT I BABBLE WHEN I AM NERVOUS, I THINK? THAT IS WHAT UNDYNE TOLD ME.” He pushed your hands away and rested them on every inch of you he could touch. “THIS HERE. AND THIS! AND…NYEH HEH HEH…THIS! ALL SO SOFT AND WARM. AND WONDERFUL. AND I LIKE THESE LITTLE THINGS…THEY LOOK LIKE LIGHTNING BOLTS.”

“Ugh, those are stretchmarks.”

“FASCINATING. SO THE ELASTICITY OF YOUR SKIN DECLINES OVER TIME AND YOU ARE LEFT WITH THESE FANCY AND COOLIO SCARS. IT IS...JUST ANOTHER THING I LOVE ABOUT YOU.”

You dove back in, not interested in finishing the rest of your undressing match. You were okay with that. The way that his ribs felt against your bare breasts was something…new to get used to. It pinched at first with your overzealousness, but you found the perfect spot and could really drive into him deep. Kissing until the rest of the world and your responsibilities faded away. Knowing that even though there wasn’t a telltale sign of arousal pressed up against you that he was very much into this. That if he had the chance, he would make you go on so he could worship every inch of your skin and tell you just what it was about you that he loved the most.

You broke away and you licked your lips, staring at the abandoned clothes on the floor. Your chest heaved and you suddenly became aware of how awkward you must have looked. The top half of your body slouched and everything was in disarray. Papyrus gathered his clothes back up and practically slunk out the door to grab what he was supposed to change into in the first place.

When he came back in, he stood and started to put everything on. Quietly. You followed suit, snapping your bra on and tucking your breasts into place, bringing the fresh pair of panties over your thighs and squeezing into the dress. Neither of you said a word, and save for the few glances you spared at each other, you couldn’t even bring ourselves to mention what had just happened.

Still. you weren’t…embarrassed. Sure, you were a little surprised at your own forwardness. But. You didn’t regret it in the slightest. You caught a glimpse of something that he hadn’t shared with anyone, and he was so… _comfortable_ in doing it with you. And you had taken another huge step in being able to enjoy him fully. Without worrying about how you looked or what you were dressed in. That was kind of a big deal.

“Do you…need a few minutes to compose yourself? I mean, like, before we go?”

He chuckled. “NO!!! I AM…VERY CONTENT. WE SHOULD BE ON OUR WAY, THOUGH. WE DO NOT WANT TO MISS THE SOCK STORM!”

You weren’t sure what that meant, but trusted him anyway. “Okay. Let’s go.”

You parked outside of the town hall where a lot of the festivities were being held. For their first attempt at a big gathering, they sure had a lot figured out. Nearly everything was paid for and donated by monsters for monsters. And anyone else that decided to show up, of course, because they were more than willing to share.

The entire section of the city was decorated in all sorts of eclectic things. Ornaments that no one would’ve even thought to put up. From the boulevard you could hear music playing. A live band with people singing and dancing in a crowd. It was all so joyous and innocent that you couldn’t help but grin the further you got inside.

“OH, WE ARE JUST IN TIME!!! LOOKIE!!!”

You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this.

Mettaton himself was floating along on a blimp. Hovering just above the skyline so he didn’t run into any roofs of the buildings along the way. The side of the craft had a giant marquee that had his name and giant hearts exploding in animated pixels. In his hand was his signature microphone that sparkled with iridescent glitter, so bright that you could even see it from down here.

“Hello, darlings! Are you ready for the Sock Storm? Do you have your buckets and bags ready? I sure hope so!”

The crowd cheered. You were so busy staring up at the spectacle in wonder that you hadn’t noticed Sans amble up to you until he shoved a basket in your hand.

“Sans!”

“hey, babe. glad you could make it. you sure you wanna be wearin’ a dress, though?”

You faltered. “What?”

The wind kicked up in a howling mess, rushing through the entire courtyard as the monsters cheered. Mettaton hurried inside of the blimp and returned with his finger lingering on a trigger of a button that he had clenched in his hands.

POP.

The entire bottom of the blimp fell open and it rained socks.

Socks.

Regular gray and white ones. Neon ones. Striped and polka dot ones. Long socks. Knee-length socks. Ankle socks. Various shades of the rainbow, some with tiny characters on them, others fitted to encircle every toe.

It was madness. Monsters burst into a series of chants and laughter, cheers and whoops, screams and shouts of encouragement. They all grabbed as many as they could and stuffed them in whatever containers they had. Others dropped down and just tried on as many as possible, stacking the pairs on their feet so that they could go around the rest of the night with them.

You weren’t as…interested as everyone else. Sure, socks were cool, but this was overkill. Still. You had to respect their obsession and played along, Papyrus and Sans rushing you in about ten thousand different directions so you could follow certain ones that spiraled around where the wind carried them.

“I WANT THAT ONE!”

“better grab it before someone else does, bro.”

“YOU ARE RIGHT. LOVE OF MY LIFE – COMBINED ATTACK!”

Papyrus lifted you up so you could reach the pair floating along in the sky. You screamed at first, not really expecting to be thrust upward so high and fast, but settled down once you realized he had a firm grip on you. The Paps you knew would never have let anything happen to you. If you toppled or fell, he would’ve caught you immediately and made sure that you were okay.

You snatched it before another monster could and they just grinned at you from across the way. Absolutely zero animosity despite the fact that you snatched it up from right under their nose. They simply turned their attention to the next best thing.

He set you down gently and hugged you with a muffled _thank you_ for grabbing them. You handed them off to him and he put it in his backpack.

It went on for a few more minutes. All three of you stepped off to the side to take a look at your luck.

“GOODIE! I GOT ONES THAT ARE FUZZY. AND LOOK, THEY HAVE LITTLE TOMATOES ON THEM!”

You laughed. “So, what is it with monsters and socks, anyway?”

Sans shrugged and tossed his pairs out from his bag. “eh. you live underground. it's damp and dark. you get cold. good pairs – ones without holes in ‘em or worn out – were hard to find in the dump. some monsters could make their own, but it didn’t come cheap. so…we learned to appreciate ‘em.”

“YES! IT CAN GET VERY COLD UNDERGROUND, BURIED AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN. AND EVEN IN PLACES LIKE HOTLAND PEOPLE NEEDED SOMETHING TO SLEEP COMFORTABLY AT NIGHT. AND SOCKS WERE INGENIUS! BECAUSE ALTHOUGH NOT EVERY MONSTER HAS ARMS OR TORSOS OR WHAT-HAVE-YOU, NEARLY ALL OF US HAVE FEET AND TOES THAT WELCOME THE SOFT WARMTH OF SOCKS!”

Ah, that made sense. They viewed it as a luxury. It was no wonder that Toriel had entire drawers full of them; she was royalty, after all, and could have first pick of whatever came from the surface. That or she was able to afford commissioning some from other monsters.

“Huh. That’s pretty cool then, actually. Being able to…you know? Give them away like this at a big monster event?”

“PRECISELY. WHEN THEY ADVERTISED THE STORM, THEY PROMISED THEY WOULD DELIVER. LITERALLY!” He cackled. “ANYWAY, WE SHOULD STORE THESE IN THOSE LOCKERS BY THE ENTRANCE SO WE DO NOT HAVE TO CARRY THEM THE REST OF THE NIGHT.”

Papyrus and Sans took your haul too, wanting you to sit and relax while you drank in the sights. You appreciated how thoughtful they were. You settled on a nearby bench and glanced around at all of the food and drink being passed around. Monster kids ran with their parents and weaved through the crowds, balloons in hand just briefly before they let them go.

A couple of monsters off to the side of you were talking loudly about something.

“…you mean it’s that time? Already?”

“Ugh, yeah!”

“Dude!”

“Why are…surprised? You _know_ …heats come…every year…”

“But the timing? Are you even…?”

“Not really! I’m gonna have to take some time off work!”

You froze.

Wait. _What?_

The monsters walked off, the one on the left looking incredibly distraught at the news. Like they’d just been handed something horrible to carry like a burden the rest of the night.

What did they mean, though? Heats? As in…a mating cycle? Seriously?

That…didn’t make sense. Papyrus and Sans never mentioned it. Hell, the educational video that Toriel gave you never mentioned it. And that thing was supposed to be the crème de la crop in terms of monster and human relationships.

You were at a loss for words. Maybe you didn’t understand monster culture as much as you thought you did. Here you thought you were being proactive about who they were and what they went through, but it took just a couple of strangers to prove you otherwise.

But why the secrecy? Was it something taboo? Sort of shoved away in a corner because it was something from a forgotten and dying age? Or did they just not like to disclose that information with humans at all? Because if two casual friends could talk about it safely in public, in a monster-heavy event, then maybe it was a subject that they avoided bringing up to your species at all.

The brothers returned. Papyrus had a whole handful of balloons, a rainbow of colors that glinted in the setting sun.

“HERE! I GOT YOU SOME.”

“Oh, thanks!”

Before you could even think about carrying it around, the both of them immediately let go of the strings and watched them go soaring into the sky. The wonder on their expressions was incredible, but also a little confusing. What was the point of getting some if they were just going to waste them?

“AREN’T YOU GOING TO LET YOURS GO?”

You faltered. “Um, why?”

Sans laughed so hard his shoulders started shaking. “why wouldn’t you? it’s tradition.”

“It is?”

Papyrus scooped you up for a deep hug, cuddling you into his chest. “OUR HUMAN IS SO ADORABLE.”

“the cutest.”

“YOU DON’T HANG ONTO BALLOONS. YOU LET THEM GO! SO THAT THEY’RE FREE! LIKE US!”

You headed around the event. You were still unsure of what they meant, but they traversed through the crowds while explaining on the way. Some of the monster passersby shot you strange looks for not “freeing” your balloon right away. This was…some kind of faux pas.

“when we lived underground, we kinda didn’t like the thought that there was this impenetrable roof over our heads.”

“BALLOONS CAME DOWN SOMETIMES, AND WHEN WE FILLED THEM WITH MAGIC, THEY FLOATED ALONG JUST FINE!”

“but when kids let ‘em go, they would just…go up to the top…pop…and the tattered pieces would come back down.”

“IT WAS HORRIBLE. FOR A WHILE, SCIENTISTS EXPERIMENTED WITH SEARCHING ALL ACROSS THE EXPANSE OF THE CEILING TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY PATCHES THAT OUR MAGIC COULD GET THROUGH. IT WAS THE PERFECT WAY TO TEST OUR THEORIES ABOUT WEAKENED SPOTS IN THE BARRIER.”

“except none of ‘em did. we'd have big televised events where they’d try a new patch. n' it was the same every time.”

You didn’t feel so hot any more. “So then why give them out at this party? Isn’t it a bitter reminder of what you guys went through?”

“YES!!! WELL, YES AND NO. BALLOONS USED TO BE SOMEWHAT OF AN OMEN TO US. WE PREFERRED TO USE CONFETTI! BUT NOW THAT WE ARE ON THE SURFACE, IT IS A STARK REMINDER THAT WE ARE FREE. THAT THE BALLOONS CAN CLIMB ON TO THE TOP AND DISAPPEAR FROM OUR VISION FOREVER.”

You smiled at that. It was…a really nice sentiment. A tradition that was born from previous failures. Monsters were so cool.

“Okay. You guys help me, then.”

All of you wrapped your hands around the string.

“one…”

“Two…”

“THREE!”

You unfurled your hands and the string slipped from your grasp. The helium lifted it up into the sky as it danced around with the wind, soaring toward the clouds with what seemed to be determination. You watched the curved surface finally shielded from the thin wisps above, reaching its destination as everyone intended it to. Papyrus had his hands on his lips and laughed, whereas Sans shoved his in his pockets with a grin. Seeing them so satisfied with the end result was enough to make your stomach twist and flip.

“WELL, WE SHOULD GET SOME SNACKS AND WALK AROUND.”

“i'm game.”

“Let’s do it!”

You ended up grabbing a bunch of nostalgic treats. Nice cream, starfaits, cinnabunnies. It was awesome. You ate a lot of monster food as it was already, but a lot of the stuff they gave out just tasted like sheer nostalgia. It blossomed on the tip of your tongue and brought an unbreakable grin on your face.

There was a huge dance floor while Napstablook DJ’d for everybody. They seemed really happy to have the chance to lift people’s spirits, and the entire crowd chanted their name whenever there was a break in music. You spotted some monsters you hadn’t seen for quite some time, including the elusive Froggits and Whimsuns. They darted around and didn’t talk much, but you respected that they had the courage to come out at all.

“Hey, NERDS. Nice of you to stop by!!!”

It was Undyne and Alphys. The both of them were off to the side and selling…were those anime charms? They were made from bits of metal and plastic they must’ve scrounged up from the nearby dump (which they were supposedly banned from). You weren’t sure you even wanted to know, but you were totally gonna get one just to support them.

“W-we made one especially for you guys!”

Alphys shoved the mini Sans and Papyrus in your hands. You gaped at their likeness. Perfect for your car keys.

“DUDE. This is AMAZING, thank you!!!”

“Hey Papyrus, the one of your girlfriend has removable clothes!” Undyne cackled. She relished the fact that she got him to blush into his hands with protests as she went to demonstrate.

“ok. i’ll take all of ‘em.”

“WHAT??? W-We only made one!”

“cough it up.”

You stared at them all. “This is a joke, right? You didn’t… _actually_ make something of me that’s naked…right?”

Both of them glanced at each other. Undyne laughed too hard and too long for it to be genuine. “Of COURSE not!!! U-um…you know what? FORGET about yours!”

You talked for a little while and then moved on. Toriel was, for the celebrations, dressed in her old royal garb so she could play the role of herself in some tall tales about the war and moving Underground. A lot of kids who were born on the surface had absolutely no clue what it was like back then. Their parents sat them down in the crowd so they could expand their knowledge.

“lookin’ good, tori.”

“Ha! Very funny, Sans. I see you are once again trying to deflect your true feelings.”

“n’ what’s that?”

“How you cannot keep your eyes off her.”

Sans scowled. She’d bested him again without even trying. You grinned and tried to hide your giddiness, instead following after Papyrus so you could weave your way out of the crowd.

Monster celebrations were so…overwhelming, almost. In most human carnivals and fairs, little groups of people walked around to play games and take in the sights. Here, everyone knew each other. There were huge crowds of people visiting and having fun. Generations of monsters that had separated since living on the surface reconnecting through this event and catching up on their lives since the last time they met. Kids could play safely on their own, darting in and out of the fields so they could exert all of their energy. It was a cozy atmosphere, unlike anything you’d ever seen. No one was unwelcome and all it took was a combined effort of their species.

“we should call it quits for tonight.”

“Really? There’s still about an hour before this place closes for the night.”

“nah, trust me. we got other things to do.”

Sans was the one that led the way. You weren’t sure where you were going. Your car was in the opposite direction.

The rows of crammed buildings soon turned to a gorgeous neighborhood. Houses that you would kill to live in. You loved your apartment, sure, but this was what freedom looked like. Someplace that you could call your own. Not having to worry about staining the carpet or not getting your deposit back.

“What are we doing here?”

Sans ignored you. You stepped to the sidewalk and looked down the street as a whole. Everything was spaced out so nicely. No wondering if the creepy neighbor in the building next door was spying on you when you got dressed.

“y’ever think about that one thing you want more than anything? and how it just…popped up one day? outta nowhere?”

“I…don’t know.”

“WELL, THAT IS HOW WE FEEL.” Papyrus pushed his two index fingers together bashfully. “THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE BEEN IN LOVE. AND A RELATIONSHIP! IT IS VERY NEW AND EXCITING. AND MONSTERS CAN BE VERY…OVERZEALOUS WITH THEIR EMOTIONS SOMETIMES. SO WE HAVE BEEN WAITING VERY PATIENTLY FOR THIS.”

You glanced at both of them. Sans looked sheepish. Papyrus was hanging on your expression with stars in his eyes.

“Um. Alright. What…do you want to do?”

“take the next step.”

“YES.”

“And…that would be?” You weren’t sure if you liked what you were going to hear. You were nervous. Your hands turned clammy. A lump in your throat.

“we wanna live together.”

“WE WANT TO LIVE WITH YOU.”

“wanna…get a place. maybe just stay in ours for a little while, since it’s bigger. someplace like place, y’know? big and…enough. for all of us.”

“LIKE AN ADJOINING ROOM BETWEEN OURS SO YOU CAN SWITCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITHOUT GOING INTO THE HALLWAY!”

“and a big bath so i can watch ya do that thing with bubbles.”

“NYEH HEH HEH! OH MY GOD, SANS?”

“what?”

“I DIDN’T EVEN THINK OF THAT!!! AND WE CAN HAVE A BIG KITCHEN WITH A WINDOW THAT LOOKS INTO THE LAWN SO WE KNOW WHEN THE DOG IS COMING IN WITH ITS MUDDY PAWS.”

“and a big couch so we can have the others over for sleepovers.”

“AND A GIANT BASEMENT SO SANS CAN DO NERDY THINGS. LIKE MIXING OIL AND WATER…FOR SCIENCE!!!”

You glanced at Sans. He grinned. Then Papyrus. He had his hands up to his chin, hope sparkling in his eyes.

“You guys…what the hell?”

Their expressions dropped. Just like that.

“This is…so unfair…” You bit your lower lip, blinking back tears. You would NOT cry. They had done this to you enough already! “It’s Monster Day. I was supposed to give _you_ gifts. Then you just…drop this on me! My stuff is gonna look SO lame in comparison!”

Sans started laughing.

“It isn’t funny! How am I supposed to measure up to something like this?!”

“WAIT I AM CONFUSED DOES THIS MEAN YOU ARE SAYING YES? OR ARE YOU TOO ENRAGED BY OUR OFFER TO GIVE US A PROPER ANSWER?”

You huffed. “Of _course_ I want to move in with you two!”

“OH. OH!!! GOODIE!!!” Papyrus reached over and swept you up. You wrapped yourself around him when he lifted you off the ground, clutching you to his chest and swinging you around.

Sans had his hand over his face and chuckled weakly, no doubt covering up the grimace that broke through the surface. You couldn’t tell if he was crying happy tears just yet, but you weren’t the type of person to draw attention to it if he was.

“SO WHAT DID YOU GET ME FOR TODAY?”

“I got you this stupid, lame ticket to some kind of food cruise with a pasta buffet???”

“WHAT?!”

“And I got Sans this seat in a conference hosted by some space research facility???

“wait. are you talkin’ about the annual commemoration for prestigious astrophysicists?”

“I guess?”

“…acpa?”

“Sure?”

Both of them just stared at you. You returned the look. You were all so overwhelmed that you had no idea what to do next.

“i, uh…i can’t…”

“THIS IS…NYOO HOO HOO! TOO MUCH!!!” Papyrus buried his face in his hands and started straight up sobbing. “WHY DID I EVER THINK I COULD OUTDO MY COOL, BEAUTIFUL GIRLFRIEND???”

You gawked. “Wait, what? You guys asking me to _move in with you_ is SO much better than what I did!”

“no. it’s not.” Sans looked like he was concentrating a little too hard. “we gotta make up for this, bro.”

“I AGREE. WE WERE DEFEATED THIS TIME, BUT THIS ONLY MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO DOUBLE OUR EFFORTS FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF GIFT-GIVING. OR MAYBE JUST ANY TIME SO YOU ARE CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND CANNOT FIND SOMETHING TO COMBAT AGAINST OUR PRESENT IN THE ALLOTTED TIME FRAME!”

You ended up walking back to the party just as it was starting to wind down. The younger kids were loaded into their parent’s cars and driven away for a long, well-deserved snooze. Toriel was off to the side speaking to a few older monsters, the lot of them no doubt discussing how much things had changed so far. Undyne and Alphys’s stand was long gone, but you were sure that they would be back tomorrow to do something equally as entertaining. Maybe anime caricatures of people? Who knew.

It was a little messy outside, but you spotted several people cleaning up the trash so that the place was spick and span for tomorrow.

As happy as you were, with one hand in each of the brothers’, you still had something lingering on the back of your mind.

“Hey, guys?”

“’sup?”

“What are…heats?”

Sans furrowed his browbone just as a group of older kids swept past you on their skateboards, drowning out your question. “what? couldn't hear ya, babe.”

“Heats. What are heats?”

“WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING? MEETS?”

“neets?”

“FLEETS?”

“sheets?”

“NO!” You knew they were messing with you and couldn’t stand it. “HEATS!”

At that moment, the lingering crowd of people all seemed to take a simultaneous inhale of breath. Leaving you shouting the word throughout the courtyard no holds barred. You could hear your voice echo along the near silent atmosphere, drawing the attention of every single monster that was within a fifty-foot radius.

“oh my god.”

You gaped at them. What the FUCK. What were you gonna do? You just blurted out something in the middle of public! A subject that you were convinced was held secret from humans because it was too embarrassing to do otherwise! And now the entire sea of monsters, who just came out here to forget about their worries and troubles, were once again reminded of something so profane by the very species that they kept it from?!

“That’s the name, baby! Don’t wear it out!”

You glanced down and watched a small flame monster waltz through the parting crowd. People were going nuts over him. What the hell? He had shades on and lowered them just enough to wink at you, sending a few swooning monsters behind you.

“HEATS! HEATS! HEATS!”

The crowd chanted his name and he lifted his arm, reveling in their attention. He moved forward to the makeshift stage that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

“What…just happened…”

“HOW COOL! I HAD NO IDEA THAT HEATS WOULD MAKE IT TO THE PARTY THIS SHORT NOTICE. I THOUGHT HE WAS TOO BUSY DOING AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGS FOR HIS NEW BOOK.”

“nice.”

“Guys??? What the actual fuck???”

Sans shrugged at you. “he’s kinda…a big deal for us monsters. got to the surface and ended up getting real popular with humans. acted as a spokesperson for us when we were still tryin’ to figure stuff out.”

You hadn’t even heard of him. “So…his name is…Heats?”

“YES! HEATS FLAMESMAN, TO BE MORE SPECIFIC. HE IS QUITE THE CHARACTER. AND HE WILL NEVER FORGET IF YOU FORGET HIS NAME.”

“Oh.”

Ah.

So.

That was what the monsters were talking about earlier. Heats Flamesman. A monster that swung by every year to town. Apparently he was…quite the life of the party, and they just wanted to take off work in order to spend as much time with him as possible. All of your prior assumptions went down the drain as you realized that you had – once again – jumped the gun.

“wait, whaddid you think?”

You bit your lip. “That…monsters had heats.”

“LIKE…MATING CYCLES?”

“like animals?”

“…yeah.”

“NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!”

“uh. wow. heh heh heh.”

“Shut up! It’s not that far of a stretch!”

Sans collapsed on the nearby bench. “babe. we literally don’t have sexual organs. why the hell would we have mating cycles?”

“I-I don’t know!”

“our species is limited to one or two young in our entire lifetime. we don’t have natural predators and learned to survive with our magic. our lifespans stretch out thousands of years. if our biology made it so we reproduced like other animals or humans, we would be overpopulated. our society would’ve crumbled to the ground within a few centuries of living underground.”

You covered your face with you hands.

“do humans go through it?”

“No…”

“then why would monsters?” He laughed harder. “this is priceless. did you think that we went into states? where we got all sensitive and had to mate or something?”

“N-No!!!”

“did you forget that females of a species are the ones that usually go into heat in the first place?”

“SO EVEN IF WE DID HAVE THAT, WHY WOULD SANS AND I EVER BE SUBJECT TO IT???”

“Okay, I get it! It was dumb!”

They teased you the entire car ride home.

Yeah.

Home.

**Author's Note:**

>  **please leave me a comment**! it lets me know that you guys are still interested and i love hearing from you!
> 
>  **[want to donate](http://ko-fi.com/A258IM#_=_)**? i would really, really appreciate it!
> 
>  **question of the day** : be honest with me: did you really remember his name?


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